Blockbuster “Act Of Valor” Set For Release Feb 17, 2012

The Navy retained the right to review footage for security reasons because SEALs are highly cautious about revealing their tactics, and the names of SEALs appearing in the movie are omitted in the credits. But the filmmakers put cameras on anything and everything — guns, helmets, vehicles — to get unusual action shots.

As with every indie film, scoring distribution for Valor was a long shot. The filmmakers met with Imax in 2010, but no deal materialized. Then bin Laden was killed, and Hollywood came calling.

“Rarely do you find a movie that’s different from every other movie out there,” says Relativity president of production Tucker Tooley. “It’s very much a military story and a patriotic story, but it isn’t a one-quadrant movie.”

A veteran distributor who has seen Valor says the action in the movie is “incredible and authentic” but that it feels like a government pic. He believes the film could play well in conservative-leaning states.

But Tooley and McCoy say it has broader appeal. “We believe the authenticity of Act of Valor will transcend demographic, race and political lines,” McCoy tells THR. “We hope viewers will get a rare glimpse into the SEAL community and that their lives will be as enriched by the experience as ours have been.”